Stranded Oak Creek Canyon campers head home after floodwater clears

Dozens of people who were trapped by floodwater at an Oak Creek Canyon campground in Sedona began leaving Tuesday evening after the path out cleared.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Tuesday morning that the creek was cutting off 65 campers from State Route 89A. No injuries or medical emergencies were reported.

If access to the Cave Springs Campground had remained blocked, deputies were on standby for a possible food drop, the sheriff’s office said.

Stranded camper describes relief at leaving Oak Creek Canyon campground

Tanja Hooper told KTAR News on Tuesday evening that she and her husband were breaking camp and that a couple of cars had already left.

“We just want to get out before more rain comes,” she said.

Hooper described the feeling of being able to go home after being stranded for so long as ecstatic.

“I never thought I would ever say I want to go home,” she said. “We kept an eye on the weather and we were high and dry. Our camp was great. You know, it was just all that debris and the water.”

Earlier Tuesday, Hooper said supplies were running low, but she and her fellow stranded campers were trying to stay positive.

“We’re doing OK, but there’s people with small children that are running out of food. We have lots of munchies but no more dinners left. Medications are getting low. … Spirits are high, but people are obviously getting a little frustrated,” she said during a phone interview Tuesday morning.

Flooding extends last-minute Oak Creek Canyon camping trip

Hooper said she arrived at the campground Friday with plans to return home Monday.

“It was a last-minute trip idea. And we kind of monitored the rain and did some hiking in Sedona and never saw the creek rise,” she said.

When they woke up Monday morning to pack up, a camp worker told them to keep their tents up because the bridge over Oak Creek was blocked by floodwater and debris.

Hooper said the water started receding for a time Monday, but not enough to make the bridge passable.

“We would walk back up every hour or so, and we could see that it was receding and receding, and we got a lot of rain again last night. And so, when we came down this morning, it was back up again,” she said Tuesday morning.

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